Russia has released 74-year-old American citizen Stephen Hubbard, who was jailed after being accused of fighting on behalf of Ukraine, as Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with US envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg. According to Russian state media, Hubbard was taken to Pulkovo Airport early on Wednesday following the meeting at the Constantine Palace.
US President Donald Trump later stated on social media that the former teacher was "on his way back home" and emphasized that "there was no 'swap' necessary." Trump stated that the release followed a request he "made directly" to Putin last week. While previous releases of Americans detained in Russia have involved prisoner swaps, Trump hinted on Tuesday that the release was imminent, telling reporters to "watch what happens" and adding, "we have been focused on Hubbard."
Hubbard, a Michigan native whom the US State Department had classified as "wrongfully detained," was sentenced in 2024 to nearly seven years in a penal colony. Russian authorities accused him of joining a defense unit in the eastern Ukrainian city of Izyum, where he was captured shortly after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in 2022. CBS News reported that Hubbard has been in poor health and is expected to be transported to Texas for medical treatment.
The release came alongside broader diplomatic discussions between Witkoff and Putin. Russian state news agency TASS reported Putin as saying the first shipment under a new agreement would depart Russia "in two to three days." The discussions covered economic cooperation, including potential Russian fertilizer exports to the United States. Witkoff also addressed energy policy, telling Putin, "Your decision to remove export controls on diesel oil from Russia, not just to the US but also to the world at large in the midst of an economic shock, I think that was really important that that happened." He added that Trump is "deeply grateful for it."
State news agency Ria Novosti reported that the two representatives reviewed the results of recent diplomatic talks in Oslo, with Witkoff presenting documents "outlining approaches to the peace process." Their agenda also encompassed the situation surrounding Iran, economic ties with the US, and the possibility of a future summit in China.
The high-level meeting took place against the backdrop of diplomatic friction regarding US intelligence sharing with Ukraine. Kyiv had accused Washington of halting intelligence on deadly Russian strikes, alleging the pause led to Ukrainian casualties—a claim the US rejected as "scandalous." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Tuesday that intelligence sharing had resumed after talks with Witkoff in Oslo, which US officials described as "positive." As negotiations proceeded in St Petersburg, Zelensky wrote on social media that "much depends on whether the American side can hear something new from Russia today – about peace, and not about continuing the war."
